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Sahel Crisis Responding to the Urgent Needs of Refugees, Internally Displaced, Returnees and Others of Concern

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Sahel Crisis Responding to the Urgent Needs of Refugees, Internally Displaced, Returnees and Others of Concern Sahel Crisis Responding to the urgent needs of refugees, internally displaced, returnees and others of concern To respond to the deepening crisis, UNHCR requires $185.7 million to provide lifesaving protection and assistance to 1.5 million refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities the Sahel IDPs region. 820,825 This includes the $96.7 million in initial requirements for 2020, REFUGEES AND ASYLUM- $29.3 million to implement COVID-19 prevention and response SEEKERS measures in displacement areas, and an additional $59.7 million 684,038 to scale up its emergency response, focusing on shelter and core RETURNEES relief items, prevention of and response to sexual and gender- (REFUGEES AND IDPs) based violence, education and the environment. 106,555 OTHERS OF CONCERN $185.7 million NEEDED IN REVISED JUNE 2020 FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS SAHEL CRISIS > RESPONDING TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF REFUGEES, INTERNALLY DISPLACED, RETURNEES AND OTHERS OF CONCERN Contents Overview 3 Working environment 6 UNHCR’s response to date 7 Strategic priorities 8 Planned activities and implementation 9 Burkina Faso 12 Mali 14 Niger 16 Coordination and working in partnership 17 Funding the response 18 2 UNHCR /June 2020 2 UNHCR / June 2020 SAHEL CRISIS > RESPONDING TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF REFUGEES, INTERNALLY DISPLACED, RETURNEES AND OTHERS OF CONCERN Overview This context is exacerbated by the The central Sahel region—Burkina Faso, COVID-19 pandemic, which is already Mali and Niger—is facing a severe affecting areas hosting refugees and humanitarian and protection crisis. IDPs. Despite a low number of tests and Massive displacement, most of it driven cases detected so far, the steady increase by intense and largely indiscriminate of infection rates indicates a forthcoming violence perpetrated by a range of armed emergency that far exceeds the capacity actors against civilian populations, is of national health sectors. The immediate taking place across the region. While socio-economic impact will have longer- internal displacement is on the rise term consequences for food security and substantial numbers of refugees have fled access to services and livelihoods to neighboring countries, and the throughout the Sahel region, situation risks spilling over into the coastal disproportionately impacting displaced countries of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, populations and jeopardizing durable and Togo. solutions. Local communities have demonstrated Coupled with the just starting lean remarkable generosity but are at a season, which is predicted to be one of breaking point. National capacities are the most serious in decades, this situation overwhelmed, and international support will likely generate further large-scale has been disproportionately dedicated to displacement of populations within the security assistance, with limited resources region and beyond: possibly southward to being made available for urgently needed coastal countries, as well as northward to humanitarian and development activities. North Africa and Europe. The emergency is here, in the Sahel, where people are suffering, are being killed, women are being raped, children cannot go to school. The Sahel is the place where we must intervene before this crisis becomes unmanageable.” “ Filippo Grandi United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR / June 2020 3 UNHCR / June 2020 3 People of concern in Sahel countries as of 1 May 2020 EVOLUTION OF IDP POPULATION (LAST 12 MONTHS) 1,531,577 1,492,166 3,142,995 PEOPLE OF CONCERN 1,118,068 1,120,112 1,121,766 1,044,395 994,196 1,001,045 COUNTRIES WITH MAJOR IMPACT 776,012 721,865 COUNTRIES WITH 655,121 MEDIUM IMPACT 604,774 COUNTRIES WITH LOW IMPACT May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr EVOLUTION OF REFUGEE POPULATION (LAST 12 MONTHS) 811,863 1,531,577 IDPs 794,266 REFUGEES AND 783,671 820,825 ASYLUM SEEKERS 780,768 776,815 RETURNEES (IDPs 768,816 769,025 769,306 684,038 AND REFUGEES) 765,808 765,565 759,444 OTHERS OF 106,555 CONCERN 738,501 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr PEOPLE OF CONCERN BY COUNTRY PEOPLE OF CONCERN BY STATUS PEOPLE OF CONCERN AFFECTED IDPs 49% REFUGEES & ASYLUM 26% SEEKERS IDP RETURNEES 18% REFUGEE 4% RETURNEES OTHERS 3% **The majority of refugees in Chad are from Sudan and CAR 4 5 People of concern in Sahel countries as of 1 May 2020 EVOLUTION OF IDP POPULATION (LAST 12 MONTHS) 1,531,577 1,492,166 3,142,995 PEOPLE OF CONCERN 1,118,068 1,120,112 1,121,766 1,044,395 994,196 1,001,045 COUNTRIES WITH MAJOR IMPACT 776,012 721,865 COUNTRIES WITH 655,121 MEDIUM IMPACT 604,774 COUNTRIES WITH LOW IMPACT May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr EVOLUTION OF REFUGEE POPULATION (LAST 12 MONTHS) 811,863 1,531,577 IDPs 794,266 REFUGEES AND 783,671 820,825 ASYLUM SEEKERS 780,768 776,815 RETURNEES (IDPs 768,816 769,025 769,306 684,038 AND REFUGEES) 765,808 765,565 759,444 OTHERS OF 106,555 CONCERN 738,501 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr PEOPLE OF CONCERN BY COUNTRY PEOPLE OF CONCERN BY STATUS PEOPLE OF CONCERN AFFECTED IDPs 49% REFUGEES & ASYLUM 26% SEEKERS IDP RETURNEES 18% REFUGEE 4% RETURNEES OTHERS 3% **The majority of refugees in Chad are from Sudan and CAR 4 5 SAHEL CRISIS > RESPONDING TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF REFUGEES, INTERNALLY DISPLACED, RETURNEES AND OTHERS OF CONCERN Working environment Insecurity, geography, climate and a global Attacks on civilians are only the latest drivers pandemic: all conspire to present UNHCR and of displacement in a region already struggling its partners with one of the most difficult with extreme poverty, scarce basic services, operating environments in the world. and climate change, and now the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since an initial outbreak in northern Mali in 2011, armed conflict has spread to central While security expenditures by governments Mali, to Niger, to Burkina Faso, and is likely to are on the rise, this has not been matched by impact coastal countries such as Benin, Côte investment in public or social services, d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo. meaning that humanitarian assistance is a lifeline for more than three million people As one of the fastest growing displacement whose needs continue to outpace available crises in the world, millions continue to flee resources. During 2020-2021, elections will indiscriminate attacks by armed groups take place in eight of the nine countries against civilians such as summary executions, covered by this strategy. If these are not the widespread use of rape against women, carefully managed, they could add to the as well as attacks against state institutions, existing instability. including schools and health facilities. The region is vast and is one of the most at Refugees finding themselves in the Liptako- risk from adverse effects of climate change. Gourma, the border triangle where Burkina Those effects are already being felt. Faso, Mali and Niger converge, are seeking Competition for land and the impact of climate safety in areas that are also plagued by change have generated divisions between violence and poverty. Many have been communities based on ethnic affiliation. These displaced several times. tensions are exploited by insurgent groups, The situation is interlinked with the situations leading to more inter-ethnic fighting. in Cameroon, Libya and Nigeria due to the In addition, governments in the Sahel are shared ideology between armed groups, taking general measures to prevent the similar operating modes, their geographic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and protect proximity, and their illicit financing methods. populations. Although these measures are not The security situation in complicated further specific to refugees, IDPs, stateless persons or by the broad range of regular and irregular returnees, limits on mobility within and across armed actors, including national armies, borders disproportionately impact these international forces and a UN peacekeeping populations in their search for protection and mission, as well as insurgent groups, solutions. community-based armed groups, traffickers and criminal gangs. Ongoing insecurity and hostilities between parties to the conflicts, the presence of improvised explosive devices and landmines, as well as other physical constraints such as lack of road infrastructure, flooding, and rough terrain make humanitarian access extremely difficult and, at times, risky. 6 UNHCR /June 2020 SAHEL CRISIS > RESPONDING TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF REFUGEES, INTERNALLY DISPLACED, RETURNEES AND OTHERS OF CONCERN UNHCR’s response to date UNHCR’s protection-centered response has Education focused on the urgent needs faced by people of concern—refugees, IDPs, returnees, UNHCR is working with governments to persons at risk of statelessness and host enable emergency education for displaced communities. Throughout its interventions, children and youth via access to safe distance UNHCR has ensured the inclusion and learning alternatives. This support includes meaningful participation of, and accountability health training for teachers and community to, affected people. awareness-raising activities on COVID-19 and basic prevention measures as well as Shelter and core relief items upgrades to water and sanitation facilities in schools. For instance, UNHCR has assisted UNHCR has provided emergency structures, 21,000 primary school-aged children in Mali construction materials, CRIs and cash grants. and Niger. Since the beginning of the year, UNHCR has provided shelter assistance to over 25,000 COVID-19 families and aims to conclude the distribution of CRIs to 16,500 families by the end June Since the beginning of COVID-19, UNHCR 2020. operations are helping to reinforce national healthcare systems, WASH structures, and Prevention and response to services in areas hosting displaced populations sexual and gender-based and surrounding communities to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on people of concern violence and host communities.
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